The present invention relates to a refrigeration apparatus in which, for example, a compressor, a condenser, an expansion part and an evaporator are connected to one another.
In a conventional refrigeration apparatus, a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator are connected to one another in a loop, where a supercooling-use heat exchanger is placed between the condenser and the expansion valve. Then, a liquid refrigerant derived from the condenser is branched into two flows. One flow of the liquid refrigerant makes a main flow liquid, while the other flow of the liquid refrigerant, after passing through the supercooling-use heat exchanger, super-cools the main flow liquid via the supercooling-use heat exchanger, then being led to the compression chamber of the compressor (see, for example, JP H11-248264 A).
However, the prior art refrigeration apparatus is incapable of further increasing the degree of liquid supercooling of the refrigerant immediately before the expansion valve. Thus, there have been limitations in improving the refrigerating capacity and energy efficiency (COP).